On Sunday, flocks of migrants desperate to return to their home states from Pune had considerably thinned at the 'exit points' of national highways.

For nearly two weeks, the national highways leading out of Pune were packed with migrant workers leaving the city on foot, trucks or other modes of transport. (Express File Photo by Arul Horizon)

For nearly two weeks, the national highways leading out of Pune were packed with migrant workers leaving the city on foot, trucks or other modes of transport. But on Sunday, flocks of migrants desperate to return to their home states from Pune had considerably thinned at the ‘exit points’ of national highways.

However, stray groups of workers keen to go to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh could be seen on Pune-Ahmednagar Road. Those on way to Chhattisgarh were assembled by police in Wagholi’s weekly market grounds and sent on state transport buses to border transit points.

The district administration said five ‘Shramik Special’ trains left Pune city, including two for Bihar and one for Uttar Pradesh. Officials said they were planning to run about 25 more trains – about 15 to UP, five to Bihar and another five to other states. The situation on the ground, however, appears different from this assessment by the district administration, as most migrant labourers seem to have already left the city on whatever transport available.

“Nobody is waiting for one’s turn in the ‘Shramik Specials’. People waited for a week and then left in trucks, tempos, two-wheelers and, also, on foot,” said Ahmed Ali, a migrant from Uttar Pradesh who works at a construction site in Wagholi. He too boarded a truck on Sunday afternoon, paying the driver Rs 3,500 like rest of the 40-odd passengers.

“Until two days ago, every truck was carrying 85-90 people. Now it has come down to 30-50 passengers because many aren’t left,” said Ali.

Also, from Sunday, the city police have started barring trucks from carrying passengers. At Wagholi and Lonikund, policemen stopped the trucks and passengers, if found on them, were asked to deboard or return to their residences and wait for official arrangements. Several trucks headed to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh were, however, circumventing police checkpoints.

“I am here for the last four days with my sister, her child and my brother-in-law. Now it appears our turn will come to board the buses. This is a free and reliable service from police,” said Jivan Joshi from Chhattisgarh.